Dolly Parton, whose recent health issues worried her fans, appeared healthy and in good spirits as she posted a sweet Thanksgiving message to her fans on Instagram on Thursday.
Wearing a brown tweed top and her blonde hair styled in a slightly curled up-do, the 79-year-old music icon looked animated during the message.
“Hi! I’m Dolly here and I want to wish you all and your families a blessing this Thanksgiving,” she said. “I am so grateful for all of you and the memories we have shared over the years. I appreciate you all and just know that I will always love you.”
Parton postponed her September trip to Las Vegas due to health issues. She revealed to fans at the time that doctors told her she would have to “have some surgeries.”
“I joked with them that it’s not my usual time to see an orthopedic surgeon, but it must be time for a 100,000-mile checkup,” she joked. “Honestly, given the circumstances, I don’t think I would be able to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see and that you deserve to see.”
But fans were then alarmed after the “Jolene” singer’s sister Frieda shared on Facebook that she had been “pulling up all night praying” for Parton.
“She is strong and loved. Every prayer has been answered for her and in my heart I know she will be okay,” Frida wrote in part. “Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!”
Frida eventually clarified her comments after fans raised concerns.
“I did not intend to scare anyone or sound serious when asking for prayers for Dolly,” she wrote. “She’s not feeling well.”
Parton herself declared to X, “I’m not dead yet!”
In the clip, the “9 to 5” singer explained that she wanted to address her medical issues head-on because “everyone thinks she’s sicker than I am.”
“Do I look sick? I’m working hard here,” she insisted. “I just wanted to put your minds at ease. I know you were really concerned and I appreciate it. Thank you for your prayers.”
The 11-time Grammy winner recently told People that she has no plans to slow down.
“People say, ‘Well, you’re going to be 80 years old now.’ Well, so what?” she told the outlet. “Look at what I’ve done in 80 years. It feels like we’re just getting started.”
“It may sound silly, but as long as my health doesn’t fail, I seem to be doing okay right now,” she continued. “I think there’s a lot to be said about age. If you allow yourself to get older, you’ll get older. I say, ‘There’s no time to get older!’ I don’t have time to think about that. That’s not what I think about.”
